Thermoelectric generators conventionally comprise a support and a set of thermocouples electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel. Thermocouples thermally connected in parallel are understood as being thermocouples intended to all be subjected to the same temperature gradient, for example, when a heat source is disposed at one of the ends of the thermocouples and when a cold source is disposed at the other end.
A potential difference which is due to the Seebeck effect is then created between the two terminals of the set of thermocouples electrically connected in series.
Thermoelectric generators have been the subject of numerous publications. Examples of these publications include:    Vullers et al., “Micropower energy harvesting”, Solid-State Electronics 53 (2009) 684-693,    Yang et al., “Design and verification of a thermoelectric energy harvester with stacked polysilicon thermocouples by CMOS process”, Sensors and actuators A157 (2010) 258-266,    Pin-Hsu Kao et al., “Fabrication and Characterization of CMOS-MEMS Thermoelectric Micro Generators”, Sensors 2010, 10, 1315-1325,    Joao Paulo Carmo et al., “A planar thermoelectric power generator for integration in wearable microsystems”, Sensors and Actuators A161 (2010), 199-204,    S. M. Yang et al., “Development of a thermoelectric energy harvester with thermal isolation cavity by standard CMOS process”, Sensors and Actuators A153 (2009), 244-250,    Ziyang Wang et al., “Realization of a wearable miniaturized thermoelectric generator for human body applications”, Sensors and Actuators A156 (2009), 95-102,    Hélène Lhermet et al., “Efficient Power Management Circuit: From Thermal Energy Harvesting to Above-IC Microbattery Energy Storage”, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 43, n° 1, January 2008,    Till Huesgen et al., “Design and fabrication of MEMS thermoelectric generators with high temperature efficiency”, Sensors and Actuators A145-146 (2008), 423-429,    David Koester et al., “Embedded thermoelectric coolers for semiconductor hot spot cooling”, 2006 IEEE,    Hiromichi Ohta et al., “Critical thickness for giant thermoelectric Seebeck coefficient of 2DEG confined in SrTiO3/SrTi0.8Nb0.2O3 superlattices”, Thin Solid Films 516 (2008), 5916-5920.
All of these articles describe either the general principles of thermoelectric generators based on the Seebeck effect, using ceramic supports for example, or they describe generators using materials that are not compatible with CMOS technologies, such as piezoelectric materials, or generators based on technological methods of the MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) type having cavities in the substrate under the thermocouples.